MLB FanHouse

That Was Quick: Jeff Francoeur Back in the Major Leagues

Josh Alper — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:25:00 EST

Here's hoping that Jeff Francoeur didn't have his mail forwarded to Mississippi. Three days after the Braves made the decision to send the rightfielder to AA in an attempt to rediscover his swing, they've brought him back up to Atlanta.

Ostensibly, the rash of injuries that struck the Braves over the weekend are the reason why Frenchy is back in the big leagues. Manny Acosta, Omar Infante and Jeff Bennett were all placed on the disabled list after last night's marathon with the Astros. GM Frank Wren says that isn't the reason for the move, interesting since the move would be illegal without players going on the DL.

"It had everything to do with the four hits he had yesterday and seven hits he had in three days and starting to relax. It was not until we had our call with the coaches this morning we had made the decision. It was not predicated on injuries at all. When we felt like he was comfortable swinging the bat and looking like his old self, we wanted to bring him back."

That doesn't say much for Wren's decision-making. Francoeur pounded AA pitching for three days and that was enough to change your mind after 362 major league plate appearances? It's hard to understand why you'd bother sending him down at all, pissing him off in the process, if the only reassurance you needed was that he's better than guys two levels away from the Show.

That Was Quick: Jeff Francoeur Back in the Major Leagues originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Braves Have Been Historically Unlucky This Season

Will Brinson — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East

When I checked the Braves record and realized that they were an insane 4-21 in games decided by one run, I was pretty shocked. But after the super-smart people at Baseball-Reference pointed me in the direction of just how historically bad it was, I was even more surprised.

If you sort by one run games for every team since 1901, the Braves rank dead last (#2212) in terms of one run game winning percentage. Yes, over the past 108 years, there has not been a team with a worse relative record in one run games in baseball. Which is pretty astounding.

It's also oddly uplifting, if you're a Braves fan though. See, one run games are primarily luck. Certainly not all luck, but certain "breaks" in the game often dictate how a one run game will shape out, and a 4-21 record is not indicative of the overall talent on Atlanta this year.

Also, the poor record in one run games would seem to indicate a shift in luck for the Braves -- despite the "losing mentality" that you hear about, Atlanta should see a reversal of fortune in some of these close games during the second half of the season.

Given the state of the National League East where Philly is kind-of-sort-of surging, but no one is dominant, that could actually bear out pretty well for the ATL. The downside, of course, is that Braves players are dropping like flies to injury. Of course, not every baseball season is chock full of good luck. This might still be one of them that stays without.

The Braves Have Been Historically Unlucky This Season originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yunel Escobar Fouls a Ball Off His, Well, Um, You Know

Will Brinson — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, Phillies, NL East, MLB Injuries, MLB Video

The Fightins' put together a pretty nice little mini-montage of action from the Phillies - Mets game on Thursday night. First you will see awkward descriptions of bat shaving and sexual innuendo. Then you will see Yunel Escobar foul a ball that hits the ground and then hits him in the man-regions. The announcers (admittedly not "doctors") give the wrong diagnosis at first.

Is it just me or have the amount of nutshots we've seen lately just been a little too out of hand? There are always people getting tagged in the groin, sure, but it seems like there's a rash right now. Of shots.

Via SBB

Yunel Escobar Fouls a Ball Off His, Well, Um, You Know originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Francoeur Sent Back to Double-A and Is Pretty Teed Off at the Whole Process

Will Brinson — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East, MLB Gossip, MLB Transactions

Contrary to what the Braves impressed upon everyone yesterday, they have decided to ship Jeff Francoeur to the minor leagues in AA Mississippi (do not pass AAA, do not collect $200). He, unsurprisingly, is not thrilled with the decision.

"This has really put a damper on my relationship with the Atlanta Braves," Francoeur told the AJC.

"I love playing for the city, I love playing for the fans and always have," said Francoeur, a graduate of Parkview High School in Lilburn. "But I'm disappointed with the decision and how the whole process went down."

[...]"I do not agree with this, but I have to do what I have to do," Francoeur said.

Francoeur said he was given the option of going to AAA Richmond and AA Mississippi and chose Mississippi because of his relationship with manager Phillip Wellman, who was his hitting coach when he was last in the minors in Mississippi in 2005.

Well, honestly, you can't blame him. Getting shipped to the minors by a team that's under .500 is pretty daggum embarrassing. It's not as if Frenchy has never struggled either; he's pretty notorious for having an OBP that registers F-A-I-L on most standard measuring devices.

But this move better be designed to angrily motivate the outfielder, because the last thing Frank Wren needs at this juncture is to chafe the fanbase any more. Even then it might be too late, as it sounds like Frenchy is going to remember this come contract time. (To sum up: the smarter move would have been to let him work through it at the big league level.)

Fantasy Spin: Francoeur hasn't done anything this year worthwhile, but he won't be in the minors for more than two weeks, and that makes him a nice buy low right now. I expect a large second half, although if your league is heavily based on OBP, you might want to think twice.

Francoeur Sent Back to Double-A and Is Pretty Teed Off at the Whole Process originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hope Springs and All That Junk for Braves Fans in the Form of Tommy Hanson

Will Brinson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East

We've hashed out the Braves problems before. 11-27 on the road, worst in the majors. 39-41 and 4.5 back of the National League East (mercifully the Phils are 2-8 in their last 10). Pitchers dropping like flies. Guys hitting .400 careening foul balls off their eyes.

But despite all of that, there is hope Braves fans. It comes in the form of Tommy Hanson (not actually pictured), who pitched the first no-hitter in Mississippi Braves history last night, striking out a whooping 14 in the process.

"It was awesome, by far the best time I've ever had pitching in a game my whole life," Hanson said following a clubhouse celebration. "It was great. The fans were up clapping, it was an awesome time."

[...]"I was kind of sitting in the corner of the dugout and guys would walk by and say, 'Good job,' but you could kind of tell they were all staying away," Hanson said. "I knew they hadn't gotten a hit, but I was trying not to think about it. It was kind of funny."

Nothing like the old awkward jinx factor. Now, Hanson might not be headed to the majors this year (although if he keeps throwing no-hitters and the Braves need pitchers, who knows?) but it could certainly happen, especially with no real knowledge about how Frank Wren likes to roll with prospects.

More than likely, he's going to get promoted to Richmond and if he pitches well there, he'll get some time in the bigs. But Braves fans, as much as this season isn't over, should remember that this kid = future. So be patient.

Hope Springs and All That Junk for Braves Fans in the Form of Tommy Hanson originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kneel and Behold, Peasants, the 40 Foot Tall Tomahawk Chopping Cow

Will Brinson — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East, MLB Fans, MLB Biz

I'm not even sure whether to be amazed or angry. Judging by the ~~drunken~~ fans screaming "GO COW!", I'm a little less angry than I thought I would be, when I finally saw the giant, 40 foot tall, tomahawk chopping cow that is now the center of ~~idolizing worship~~ fan festivities in Atlanta.

I would also like to point out that no matter how much people are cheering right now, in a few months, I think the whole giant cow thing will grow stale. And then Braves will have a real ... beef with their fans.

Via Deadspin

Kneel and Behold, Peasants, the 40 Foot Tall Tomahawk Chopping Cow originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeff Francoeur Trying a Contact Lens to Snap His Batting Woes

Josh Alper — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East

There's no bigger flaw in Jeff Francoeur's game than his ability to judge the strike zone. His lack of walks has made him totally reliant on batting average to be a productive player. He's hitting just .243 this season, which makes him a drag on the Atlanta offense, and just .207 at night. The Braves hope that the problem is one that can be fixed with the help of an optometrist.

Francoeur is being fitted with a contact lens for his right eye in an effort to help him with a better approach at the plate. His vision in the eye has steadily deteriorated since he got plunked in the head in 2004.

"We'll see what happens. I'm near-sighted in my right eye a little since I had surgery [for multiple fractures of his right cheek and orbital bone around the eye]. I'm not making excuses, but I feel like I haven't been able to recognize pitches. I've only got to wear it at night."

It's worth noting that last season Francoeur had no trouble hitting at night. He produced a .301/.351/.466 line compared to .273/.303/.390 during the day.

The success of the lens may be the one thing that stops Francoeur from being a one-hit wonder. His 2004 rookie season increasingly looks like a fluke. He was terrible in 2005, okay in 2006 and is back to the dregs this season and, even at 24, you have to wonder how many more chances he'll get to turn things around

Jeff Francoeur Trying a Contact Lens to Snap His Batting Woes originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: Welcome Home, Jerry Manuel

Josh Alper — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Atlanta, New York, Phoenix, Seattle, Red Sox, Mariners, Braves, Mets, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Milwaukee

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Seattle Mariners (26-49) at New York Mets (37-37) - 7:10 PM ET

It's a great pitching matchup - Felix Hernandez vs. Johan Santana - but that's not why this game leads off our list of Monday baseball. No, it's because Jerry Manuel will be managing his first home game at Shea Stadium since taking over for Willie Randolph. The nature of that dismissal has been debated to death in New York since then but it will still be interesting to see how the hometown faithful react in their first look at the team since Black early Tuesday morning. Manuel's fertilizer comments, which seem like little more than a tabloid trying to make a stink where none exists, could also play a role in how he's greeted. If Santana pitches well, and no reason he shouldn't against the Mariners, it should all end up as a lovefest by the end of the night.

Arizona Diamondbacks (39-37) at Boston Red Sox (47-31) - 7:05 PM ET

Just what the slumping Diamondbacks don't need to snap their bats to life, a trip to Fenway and Josh Beckett staring them in the face. They've scored more than three runs just once in their last nine games and scored but six runs while getting swept by the Twins over the weekend. Luckily have Dan Haren throwing for them tonight. The Diamondbacks have won his last four starts but it's easy to see that streak coming to an end if their hitters don't start pulling their weight.

Milwaukee Brewers (41-34) at Atlanta Braves (38-39) - 7:10 PM ET

The latest round in the battle for the eternal soul of Milwaukee baseball sees the two combatants heading in very different directions. The Braves have lost 10 of their last 16 while the Brewers have saved their season with a 21-10 since the middle of May. Ben Sheets has been a big part of the recent good play. He's 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA in his last six starts. His chances of extending that run get a boost with word that Chipper Jones will miss a third straight start thanks to injured quadriceps.

Everyone else:

Angels at Nationals - 7:10 PM ET
Rockies at Royals - 8:10 PM ET

On Deck: Welcome Home, Jerry Manuel originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Braves Have Not Hit Big Bottom Yet

Will Brinson — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East, MLB Injuries

Right Down Peachtree, the sports portion of Atlanta Magazine (and edited by Jay Busbee, who does some fine work at a few blogs with an exclamation point), has what might be the defining quiz of the 2008 Atlanta Braves season.

They are asking readers to match Braves players and Spinal Tap drummers to their various injuries. And it's not as easy as you'd think.

Oh, and in totally unrelated news, Chipper Jones (right quad) and Yunel Escobar (right hip) are now hurt and day-to-day. Here's the list of injuries.

A. Spontaneously combusted in a flash of green light.
B. Hit self in the face with a batting practice foul ball.
C. Either returned to world of jazz or died.
D. Killed in swamp gas explosion while visiting the grave of Mick Shrimpton.
E. Out till the All-Star break with a bad elbow and a bad case of Shea Flu.
F. Choked to death on vomit. Not his own vomit.
G. Still active. Wrapped in bubble wrap nightly to prevent accidents.
H. May not, in fact, actually exist anywhere outside of the disabled list.
I. Fell down the Wrigley Field dugout stairs.
J. Exploded onstage.
K. Sent back into the Terminator shop for repairs.
L. His trick elbow is in, then out, then in, and now out.
M. Died in a bizarre gardening accident.
N. Out for the year with ligament replacement surgery. Will harvest the ligament from Johan Santana.

See? Not all that easy to decipher. Aside from the keywords like "Wrigley Field" and "foul ball" -- then you can at least separate them into ST v. AB categories and work from there. Of course, it obviously gets tougher if you haven't seen Spinal Tap, but then every minute more you spend watching moving pictures or reading the internet is about as worthwhile as a Mike Hampton contract extension.

Braves Have Not Hit Big Bottom Yet originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: A Fistful of Dehydration

Jon Bois — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:14:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, MLB Injuries, The Dugout

How on Earth does Tim Hudson sideline himself due to dehydration? This isn't a scolding, it's pure curiosity. I figured that you can avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water. If Maslow had constructed a Hierarchy of Preventative Health Measures, wouldn't "drink water to prevent dehydration" be only a level up from "breathe to prevent asphyxiation"?

Today's Dugout is a construction of the only possible understandable scenario I could think of. Necessarily, it is a Spaghetti Western. Read it after the jump.

The Dugout

	OnlineHost Welcome to June 1 Chat!
	OnlineHost Tim Hudson has surrendered the first run of the game, breaking a scoreless tie.
	bobbycoxer: What are you gonna say, "anyone can hang a pitch?" No one misses when they're at the end of my rope! Let me tell you something! When you feel that rope around your neck, you can feel the Devil bite your ass!
	HudsonHawk: Yeah, you're right. It's getting tougher. I figure our game is untied.
	HudsonHawk: This game only has about six innings left. Now if you save your breath, I feel a man like you can manage it.
	OnlineHost Tim Hudson has left the game.
	bobbycoxer: YOU FILTHY BASTARD COME BACK HERE IF I EVER CATCH YOU, BALDY, I'LL RIP YOUR HEART OUT AND EAT IT! I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE! I'LL HANG YOU BY YOUR THUMBS! YOU PIG! /kicks dirt
	HudsonHawk: /tips cap Such ingratitude after all the times I started your games.
	OnlineHost Welcome to June 12 Chat!
	bobbycoxer: /pencils in Tim Hudson for day's start
	bobbycoxer: I don't know. As soon as I hit the ballpark, I'm thirsty.
	HudsonHawk: /fills paper cup from Gatorade cooler
	bobbycoxer: /draws six-shooter
	OnlineHost Bobby Cox has shot the cup out of his hand.
	bobbycoxer: Like that you won't have to carry so much!
	HudsonHawk: What are we doing?
	bobbycoxer: No, it's what you're doing, amigo. Pitching from a mound of sun-baked dirt. Francouer's going out that way. McCann's at the backstop. But no one will set foot in that hell! Except you!
	HudsonHawk: /look of disdain
	bobbycoxer: What was it you told me? "If you save your breath, I feel a man like you could manage it." Now go!
	OnlineHost Tim Hudson pitches through the heat of the scorching sun.


	bobbycoxer: /sits on horse, holds up parasol for shade


	bobbycoxer: /cackles, drinks Gatorade from canteen


	HudsonHawk: /collapses, rolls down mound
	bobbycoxer: And so, Baldy, it's goodbye. /turns to signal to bullpen
	OnlineHost A driverless Confederate Army carriage gallops onto the field.
	bobbycoxer: WHOA WHOA WHOA /halts horses
	bobbycoxer: /rummages through corpses, pockets jewelry and snuff boxes
	jewish_smores: /falls out of carriage WATER WATER
	jewish_smores: 200 INNINGS PITCHED IT'S YOURS, JUST BRING ME WATER

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

The Dugout: A Fistful of Dehydration originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It Takes a Baseball to the Face to Stop Chipper Jones From Getting Hits

Josh Alper — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:05:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East, MLB Injuries

Maybe there's something to that curse on the Braves that Matt Snyder was talking about yesterday. It's hard to believe in such things, no matter how many members of Atlanta's team are currently disabled, but when players start knocking themselves out of the game during batting practice, it's hard to come up with another explanation.

That's why Chipper Jones wasn't in the lineup for Atlanta's victory against the Angels last night. During batting practice, one of his cuts sent a ball into the bar atop the cage. It went right back at Jones and struck him in the face. Jones is so hot right now the ball then bounced off him and landed for a clean single the opposite way.

If you still find yourself wondering how Jones is hitting .414 at this late date in the season, read on a little longer. 15 minutes after taking a shot to the eye with a baseball, Jones was watching video of Angels pitchers and expected to play. He ended up going to the hospital for a CT scan shortly thereafter, however, and missed the game. The tests were all negative for serious injury and Jones should be in the lineup today. And he'll probably get three hits.

It Takes a Baseball to the Face to Stop Chipper Jones From Getting Hits originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Plunking of Alfonso Soriano Was Accidental

Will Brinson — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Chicago, Braves, Cubs, MLB Fans, MLB Injuries, MLB Rumors

Jeff Bennett and Brian McCann swear they didn't mean to hit Alfonso Soriano in the face/hand during the second game of the Braves - Cubs series. Although, after getting the full-on broom treatment in Chicago and McCann getting beaned as well, it would not be surprising to hear them change their tone a little bit.

'Obviously we weren't trying to hit Soriano,' McCann said. 'But if they felt like they needed to get back, then we're even now and it's over.'

Bennett was shockingly confident too (basically saying he had Soriano K-balled).

'That's the last thing I wanted to do with a guy on second and with two strikes,' Bennett said. 'I mean, you've got him struck out. He always stands over the plate and dives over it a little bit. If you look over his [scouting report], he'll swing at that high fastball. That's what I wanted to do. It didn't work out that way.'

What he fails to mention is that he was all over the place all evening; as long as you can classify "all evening" as "hanging around long enough to cough up seven runs in two innings". In other words, it's hard to even remotely classify this as intentional.

The interesting thing is that it feels like the Braves and Cubs are developing a little bit of bad blood (I don't want to use rivalry, lest the in-House Blue Bleeders point out the one-sidedness of it) between the two teams. Or perhaps a tough fought sweep combined with 100 years of frustration are just blending together.

The Plunking of Alfonso Soriano Was Accidental originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Is Boring: Braves-Cubs Live Blog

Jon Bois — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:17:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Chicago, Braves, Cubs, MLB Live Blogging, The Dugout

Baseball is America's pastime, but had our forefathers enjoyed the modern conveniences of clocks, ball pumps, or haste, this pastime may well have been basketball or football. Instead, they had wood, leather, and a rudderless disposition. Baseball is Boring is a series of live blogs for folks who need irony and self-awareness to get through a game.

Today the Chicago Cubs, fresh off the incapacitation of Alfonso Soriano (baseball's answer to Willis Reed), place their hopes in their ace, Carlos Zambrano (baseball's answer to Willis Reed). Zambrano is a man who can yell and chew gum at the same time, and I doubt he'll let the loss of Soriano distract him from posting a solid outing.

The Braves respond by trotting out northpaw Tim Hudson (baseball's answer to Willis Reed), the closest resemblance of a sure thing that Atlanta's rotation can presently muster. With any luck, we may even see day-to-day legend Chipper Jones (baseball's answer to Willis Reed) make a plate appearance.

Braves-Cubs, from the friendly confines of Willis Reed, after the jump.

THE ESSENTIALS
The Braves (32-34) start Tim Hudson (7-4, 2.86 ERA).
The Cubs (42-24) start Carlos Zambrano (8-2, 3.01 ERA).

ANALYSIS
God, it's great to be alive.
Takes the skin right off my hide
To think I'll have to give it all up someday.

And if I ever treated you mean,
You know that it was only because
I'm sorry i couldn't have you for my own.

I'll be true to you.
Oh yeah, you know I will.
I'll be true to you forever or until
I go home.

- "To Go Home", M. Ward

PREDICTION
Cubs over Braves, 5-1.

QUICK NOTE ABOUT THIS LIVE BLOG
From here forth, my banal and worthless commentary can be read in the box below. It updates much like a one-way instant messenger conversation does, which means you do not need to keep refreshing the page. Feel free to comment in the box at the bottom -- if your sentiment is funny or poorly-informed enough, I may just post it in the blog. Enjoy!

Baseball Is Boring: Braves-Cubs Live Blog originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smoltz Has Shoulder Surgery and There Are 'Lots of Unknowns'

Will Brinson — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:20:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East, MLB Injuries

The good news out of Alabama regarding John Smoltz is that, um, well there is not really any good news, actually. Smoltz had shoulder surgery yesterday while on vaca with Dr. James Andrews and it appears there is significant damage to his labrum.

'You rarely find a pitcher of John's experience level and age that doesn't have some sort of labrum issue,' general manager Frank Wren said Tuesday evening. 'It was pretty significant, what they found with his labrum.

'At this point they don't know what the prognosis is until he starts trying to throw and rehab in the next few months.'

Smoltz remained at the Andrews Clinic in Birmingham on Tuesday night. He had yet to consult with Dr. James Andrews, who performed the operation, nor Wren. The pitcher is expected to return to Atlanta late Wednesday afternoon.

The Braves were muffled and vague enough where this legitimately sounds like it could be the end of John Smoltz' career. Wren mentioned the unknowns of course and the fact that Smoltz wanted to return but pointed out that "based on the surgery, we just don't know."

Which means that until they know for certain what his status is -- and with someone like Smoltz you can imagine it would be after the start of the 2009 season before he actually makes a definite call -- the Braves will not make an official statement. So get ready for a Summer of Unknown if you're a Braves/Smoltz fan. It's like Summer of George but with less soda in the fridge.

Smoltz Has Shoulder Surgery and There Are 'Lots of Unknowns' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Serious Medical People Attempt to Explain Braves' 2008 Road Woes

Will Brinson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East, MLB Media Watch, MLB Rumors

The Atlanta Braves are a Major League worst 7-21 on the road this year. Seven. If they had even a minute ability to play away from Turner Field, they would be all up on the Phillies' heels. Instead, well, you know the story.

And since Britney Spears has decided to ease back on the double dose of Crazy and step out of the limelight, the world's psychologists have a little free time on their hands. And they appear, according to the AJC, interested in solving the Braves problems.

There may actually be a psychological term for these road woes.

"I want to call it a 'Sports Travel Sub-Culture Shock,'" suggested Michael Brein, aka "The Travel Psychologist." Social psychologist Brein sees some parallels between visitors to unfamiliar cultures and traveling athletes encountering big, fuzzy, noogie-dispensing mascots and mother-insulting fans.

"In a mini, subtle, way, they're sort of going through all the facets of culture shock, which is affecting their play."

I'm buying into the fact -- based simply on the record and the sustained struggles -- that the Braves are a little inside their own heads when it comes to road games. It shouldn't matter, but sometimes it does. As for a sub-culture shock, well, maybe. As long as we're talking about the various differences in the particular parks and not the Braves freaking out because they ended up in Philadelphia.

Even then, it seems a little farfetched to really pin some sort of "culture shock" on the Braves struggles. Ripping off a run of three games away from Turner and I guarantee you that culture shock bidness won't be talked about again.

Serious Medical People Attempt to Explain Braves' 2008 Road Woes originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chipper Jones Wants to Play Past 40 and Remain a Brave

Will Brinson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East, MLB Rumors, MLB Biz

Chipper Jones just seems like the type of athlete that would forgo additional money to remain with the same team for his entire career. That may seem sentimental or far fetched, considering how rarely it actually happens these days, but it seems I may be reasonably accurate in that statement.

He has been raking this year, and despite his age, he appears to want to keep going for at least another five or so, all of which will hopefully be in a Braves uniform.

'I don't think there's any reason I can't play through 40,' he said, 'long as I don't let my body go - which is not going to happen. I'm too active year-round to let my body go.

'My desire to stick around and play four, five, six more years is strong. I want to accomplish some things here, put up some numbers here as long as the Braves want me. I can't see going someplace else just to accumulate numbers.'

Any Braves' homerism aside, that's always a great statement to hear. The majority of athletes will not actually say anything like this, although I do realize that more athletes are loyal to certain teams than we give them credit for. Chipper with the Braves is one of these examples.

While he does not specifically mention money here, he would probably be willing to take a pay cut. However, unless his production severely drops (he's actually due for a raise this year) then the Braves should just keep compensating him fairly to make sure he sticks around.

Chipper Jones Wants to Play Past 40 and Remain a Brave originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gregor Blanco Has Some Funky Footwork

Will Brinson — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East, MLB Video

This little snippet is from Friday night's Braves - Phillies game -- another losing effort by the Braves -- and it shows that Gregor Blanco has some weird-A stuff going down in his batting footwork. Watch as he, like FanGraph's Eric Seidman points out, does his best Happy Gilmore impersonation.

The price is wrong, Gregor.

Gregor Blanco Has Some Funky Footwork originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: Angelic

Mullet — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Philadelphia, Rays, Angels, Athletics, Rangers, Braves, Phillies, Anaheim, Tampa Bay

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (38-24) at Oakland Athletics (33-28) - 9:05 PM ET

Not that your L.A. Angels of A. were in any real trouble anyway with Vladimir Guerrero and Scot Shields suffering nagging injuries. But even through that, the Angels have won their last six games, and did so with Guerrero back in the lineup last night (Shields seems to be on his way back soon) in their 3-1 win over Oakland, who's now four and a half games back of the Halos in the A.L. West.

Oakland's been just as hot, following up a four game losing streak by winning four in a row before last night's loss. But the way the Angels have been going, the swingin' A's had better do some swinging before the Angels make a mockery of this division.

Tampa Bay Rays (36-25) at Texas Rangers (31-32) - 8:05 PM ET

The Rays dropped a 12 spot on the Rangers last night, meaning they dramatically dropped the amount of swings and misses that they had in the previous night's brawl against the Red Sox. The next few games will tell a bit about their character as they shuffle through some suspensions, but they'll be staggered so the Rays aren't going to lose everybody at once. As for the Rangers, they've only lost Sidney Ponson, who was designated for assignment for being a general pain in the posterior.

Philadelphia Phillies (37-26) at Atlanta Braves (32-30) - 7:10 PM ET

Teams that hope to have successful seasons need wins like the Phillies had last night ... wins where they take advantage of ninth inning errors to tie the game, take the lead in the tenth inning thanks to guys like Shane Victorino, and then come up with defensive plays that may or may not be made by Victorino where the tying run gets thrown out at the plate by mere inches. Yeah, that's what potential champions do. And the Phillies who are proving themselves to be potential champions, get another crack at the Atlanta Braves tonight.

Everyone else:

Royals at Yankees 1:05 ET
Orioles at Blue Jays 1:07 ET
Cubs at Dodgers 3:55 ET
Mariners at Red Sox 3:55 ET
Indians at Tigers 3:55 ET
Diamondbacks at Pirates 7:05 ET
Cardinals at Astros 7:05 ET
Twins at White Sox 7:05 ET
Giants at Nationals 7:10 ET
Reds at Marlins 7:10 ET
Brewers at Rockies 8:05 ET
Mets at Padres 10:05 ET

On Deck: Angelic originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 07 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chipper Jones Hits 400 (Home Runs)

Will Brinson — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:15:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East, MLB Milestones

For all the talk about Chipper Jones possibly hitting at a .400 clip for an entire season (an unlikely possibility despite all the media attention and the way he's playing), it's pretty awesome in a somewhat ironic way that he hit his 400th home run this season, taterjacking a shot of Ricky Nolasco in the sixth inning Thursday night.

He is only the third switch hitter in the history of baseball (Eddie Murray and Mickey Mantle being the others) to cross the plateau.

'Just an awesome all-around night,' Jones said after becoming the 43rd player in the 400-homer club, doing it in style amidst a four-hit performance that raised his major league-leading batting average to a startling .418.

'I guess I've seen every single one of them,' said Braves manager Bobby Cox, the only manager Jones has played for during a 15-year career. 'He's one great player. Four hits tonight with a home run. ...'

Besides being an understatement by Cox, that first sentence points out just how much Larry means to the Atlanta organization. He was there for the resurgent Braves teams of the 1990's and along with John Smoltz, remains one of the biggest reasons why the Braves dominated their division for 14 straight years.

One fascinating "statistic" from the AJC is that in his 15 year career for Atlanta, Chipper has taken only two curtain calls the entire time, the first in 1999 and the second tonight. That's pretty indicative of -- beside Jones' approach to the game -- how synonymous he is with Atlanta baseball and how much his place in that lineup may even be taken for granted.

Chipper Jones Hits 400 (Home Runs) originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet the NL East Draft Picks

Mullet — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Braves, Marlins, Mets, Phillies, Nationals

In case you weren't able to watch today's Major League Baseball draft or follow along with Josh Alper and Andrew Johnson at their live blog of the festivities, here's a roundup of the guys who went in the first round to the teams of the National League East.

Florida Marlins (6) Kyle Skipworth, Catcher, Patriot H.S. (CA): When you look at his offensive scouting report, he's got Joe Mauer written all over him with his sweet left-handed power stroke. So it's no surprise that when you read this interview with the 2008 Gatorade National Player of the Year, you find out that he patterned his game after Mauer, the former batting champion. Anything close to Joe Mauer and the Marlins will be extremely happy with this pick.

Washington Nationals (9) Aaron Crow, RHP, University of Missouri, Columbia: There weren't a lot of pitchers taken in the first round, which is a bit surprising. Not surprisingly, the Nats took a big power arm at the nine slot in Crow, a guy with good command and great stuff with three plus pitches at his arsenal. The Nationals did well to grab a starter this good out of college who can possibly make his major league debut this season ... and definitely sooner rather than later.

New York Mets (18) Ike Davis, First Base, Arizona State: With Carlos Delgado on his last legs, and only Mike Carp on the horizon in the Mets' minor league system, the Mets were hoping to take advantage of a deep first base class on draft day. They did just that by drafting Davis (pictured above), the son of former major league reliever Ron Davis. Ike is hitting .394 with 16 HR's so far with the Sun Devils, and he also pitches for them (4-1, 2.53 ERA as a reliever). So will he wind up replacing Delgado or Oliver Perez?

New York Mets (22) David Reese Havens, Shortstop, South Carolina: Havens is an interesting pick, and not just because most call him Reese while MLB.com calls him David. Havens has been primarily a shortstop in college, but with Jose Reyes blocking his path he will assuredly switch positions. Scouting reports say he would have to move to third anyway because of a lack of range, but with David Wright over there, the Mets might want to see what he can do as a catcher, where the Mets are lacking in top level prospects. Scouts like his batting eye, which seemed better in his freshman year at USC than it did as a sophomore, but his summer season in the Cape Cod league where he hit .315 solidified him as a legitimate hitting prospect (though some have noticed that Havens struggles with high velocity pitches.)

Philadelphia Phillies (24) Anthony Hewitt, Shortstop, Salisbury School (CT): They call him "toolsy", and the Phillies should know a thing or two about toolsy shortstops. But just like Havens, scouts foresee a change in position in Hewitt's future as they see him as more like a center fielder. This is a risky pick for Philly and not only because the terms "raw" and "upside" are being thrown around. Hewitt has a "solid verbal" commitment to Vanderbilt. And considering the university has recently boasted 2007 No. 1 draft pick David Price and 2008 No. 2 draft pick Pedro Alvarez, maybe Hewitt will decide a stay at Vandy is best for his long term career prospects.

The Atlanta Braves gave up their first round pick to the Mets for signing Tom Glavine as a free agent. Atlanta's first pick was 40, which they used to select lefty pitcher Brett DeVall from Niceville High School in Florida.

Meet the NL East Draft Picks originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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